Twilight TwentyFive Round 3
by animal8
Summary: This is for the TT25. A series of one-shots/drabbles that are inspired by twenty five pictures provided as prompts. Read and enjoy and let me know what you think.
1. Prompt 1

**...**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**Prompt #1**

**Penname: animal8**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella**

**Rating: K+**

**Photos for prompts can be found here: community(dot)livejournal(dot)com/thetwilight25/13912(dot)html**

**...**

"Where is she?" I snarled, my hands clenching as they tightening their grip on me brother's collar. Rage covered my thoughts. He let her get away! She could be anywhere by now. No, not just anywhere, I thought grimly. She would be with _him_.

My mind conjured images of my sweet Bella, facing off against that sadistic monster alone. The things he could do to her in the time it would take me to find her and I still didn't know where she was!

"Edward, you need to calm down," Carlisle spoke calmly, but the authority was there in his tone.

I growled again, pushing Jasper back into the wall as I released him. Emmett kept his hands around my arms in case I blew off again. I purposefully held my body still and wished it was as easy to do with my mind, not being able to tolerate the path my thoughts were taking me: with my Bella being dead. I shuddered internally, shying away from the pain and loneliness of that concept.

Suddenly, an image passed through my head, one that I automatically knew was not of my own creation, and I watched, wide eyed with horror. James, the tracker who was determined to end my Bella, was stalking towards her, a satisfied smirk resting on his lips. His body was reflected in the many mirrors that coated the room on opposite sides.

There was no sound to the vision, but his intent was clear. I saw as Bella stared, frozen, at him while he spoke to her and as his hand touched the side of her face. A growl rumbled in me, wishing I could rip his hands from her fragile flesh. He lifted one tress of her hair to sniff at it before backing off, placing more distance between them. All of a sudden, he crouched down, an obvious offensive stance and my body tensed.

Bella snapped out of whatever stupor she had been in and bolted for the door. But she wasn't fast enough, not that she could have been. He was in front of her in an instant, his foot connecting with her chest and sending her smashing into one of the mirrored walls. Glass tumbled around her as she sat up dazedly.

James stood above her, watching as she struggled away from him, his irritating smirk still in place. He was enjoying her torment. I cringed as his foot came down on her leg with enough force to snap the bone. Bella's face contorted with pain as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. I felt like a burning man, forced to watch as his own death was carried out. For watching this was surely worse to me than experiencing my own death.

The hunter's foot lashed out again and flung her head back into the wall. She remained still after that and I pleaded mentally that she was strong enough to hold on, just a little longer until I could get to her.

I was wrenched from the vision even as I fought to keep watching, to know if she would survive. I looked up to Alice in horror and found her staring at me with a matching expression. "Alice," I choked. She nodded slightly.

"What?" Emmett asked, glancing between the two of us, "What's going on?"

"Alice?" Jasper questioned, leaning over his mate protectively.

Alice turned her head into him, her small body shaking with tremors as she spoke only one word. "Bella," she whispered.

It was enough to send a flurry of thoughts battering at my consciousness. As if I was in shock, my brain wasn't able to process the exact words, but I gathered that they were focused around me and Bella. I still hadn't moved since Alice had come out of her vision and the others were getting worried.

"Come on, Edward, man," Emmett said, concerned, "You're no good to anyone like this. You need to concentrate on getting to Bella before this sick bastard has a chance to do anything to her."

I nodded, my mind coming into focus. I needed to find her, above anything else. I inhaled deeply and caught her scent, faint but still detectable, at least to me. I followed her path, probably moving faster than recommendable in the presence of humans, but I couldn't find it in me to care at that moment.

The trail ended at the curb just outside the airport. A sign nearby said this was the stop for the shuttle to the Hyatt. Why was she going there? I wondered. Maybe it was the fastest way to get away, or maybe she actually went there to meet _him_. My frustration slowly turned into despair as I realised I had no idea where she was.

She was gone, I thought. I couldn't find her. My dead heart seemed to break at the thought. I couldn't save her. I knew I couldn't live without her, so what would I do? Staying in this existence without her would be out of the question, it was too unbearable. So what? My brothers wouldn't help me, I knew. So who? Then it clicked. The Volturi. I had broken the law, so surely they would end my misery.

Alice's voice broke my suicidal plans as she called my name. "I know where she is!" She screamed at me. My hope returned. I could save my angel. But time was running out, fast. The sands worked against us even as I strived to get to her.

I followed her to the hot-wired car and slid into the back seat with Emmett and Jasper. Alice sat in the passenger seat with Carlisle driving as she read out directions. _We should get there in time, Edward,_ she thought.

She surprised me by turning back to look between the head rests to stare at me sadly. "I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't know," she said.

I looked at her in confusion and I sensed the others doing the same. She held out a letter to me, clearly written in Bella's hasty scrawl. My heart clenched at the sight and I hesitantly reached out to take it. _She said it was for her mother,_ Alice explained.

With shaking hands, I read her words, unable to believe that she had sacrificed herself to protect me. I truly did not deserve this girl. For now, all I could do was sit and hope we would get to her in time. But even as we raced through the city towards my love, all I could think was that every minute, every second, brought us closer to the moment the last grain of sand fell. And I would be too late.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hey guys, this is my first entry into the Twilight Twenty-Five contest. The picture prompt for the was an hour glass/sand timer, so I used the idea of time running out which reminded me of Edward's race to save Bella from James. So if you couldn't guess this is Edward's POV from the end of Twilight.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and there will be plenty more to come. (Twenty four more to be exact). Don't worry, even though I am participating in this and trying to do my exams, I will still be making sure to update my other story 'Gentle Touches'. Chapter 3 is nearly ready to go up, so keep an eye out for that.

For those of you still reading mt original Twilight story, 'Not Enough', I am taking a break on that, but I will probably try to write more over the summer, so I can hopefully have another chapter out for that, though not many people seem interested in it.

Okay, so I don't think there's much else to say now. Oh wait, as a notice, the Project Team Beta contest 'I Can't Believe Its Not Canon', voting starts the 14th May. My entry to this is called 'Third Wife Persona'. Definitely check that out if you please.

So, that's all for now,

R~E~V~I~E~W~P~L~E~A~S~E

animal8 xx


	2. Prompt 2

**...**

**Twilight Twenty-Five**

**Prompt #****2**

**Penname: animal8**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella**

**Rating: K+**

**Photos for prompts can be found here:**

**community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/thetwilight25/13912[dot]html**  
**...**

Emmett grinned at me across the bar, drying a glass in his hands while he talks. "I don't get why you just won't have a drink, Edward," he told me, "There's no point being in a bar if you're not going to drink at least a glass."

I sighed and explained to him again. "I'm only here because you called me and said you needed a ride home," I said, starting to get impatient with his pestering. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't be here in the first place. Besides," I glanced around me at the empty pub, "you're closing up for the night."

"Yeah," he agreed, "But that doesn't mean I can't make an exception and pull you a pint. That's what brothers are for, right?"

I groaned and shook my head, not bothering to give him an answer to that."Just hurry up so we can get out of here," I ushered him.

Emmett laughed, placing down the glass he was holding only to pick up another and begin the process again. "What you need to do is get yourself a good girl," he lectured, "Maybe that way you wouldn't be so frustrated all the time."

He lets out a booming laugh as I growled at him for his comment. My brother always had a certain view on women, up until he found Rosalie, and he was never afraid to say exactly what was on his mind. Unfortunately, that meant he had put me in more than one embarrassing situation. He was always a prankster.

"I'm telling you, Edward, a girlfriend will do you wonders," he said seriously, "You really need to get out with someone."

I smiled half heartedly. "I go out with you guys all the time," I offered weakly.

Emmett scoffed at me and rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, man," he snorted, "Hanging out with your brother and sister and their other halves is all well and good, but you need a different kind of relationship."

"Can we just drop this, please?" I sighed.

"Sure, sure," he allowed, turning to hide his disappointment as he picked up another glass. I hated disappointing my brother, but I really didn't want to go into another discussion on my love life or lack thereof.

The bell on the door chimed suddenly and a small voice called, "Excuse me?"

We both raised our heads simultaneously and I almost gaped at the beauty that stood hesitantly in the doorway of my brother's pub. She was slim, dressed in skinny jeans and a form fitting tee, with long, dark brown hair and expressive, chocolate brown eyes. She looked at us nervously, obviously uncomfortable, and for some reason, I found myself wanting to make her feel at ease.

"Sorry, we're closed," Emmett told her and I wanted to glare at him.

"Um...sorry," the brown haired girl stuttered, "I needed some help." I lifted an eyebrow in concern as she looked at me.

A mischievous glint found its way into Emmett's eyes and I frowned at him. "Well, if you need help you can talk to my brother; I need to finish up something in the back for a while," he excused. With that, he swiftly made an exit through the door into the back.

I felt my eyes widen and I groaned internally as I realised what he was up to. Playing match maker, I grumbled silently. Well, I wasn't going to leave this girl hanging here, so I turned back to her.

When my eyes landed back on her face, I saw that a beautiful blush stained her cheeks a light red and I caught myself briefly admiring the colour. As I looked closely at her, I noticed the midnight blue of her top perfectly complimented her pale skin. I glanced back to her face quickly to distract myself.

"What did you need help with?" I asked politely, hoping she hadn't noticed me staring unabashedly at her.

She jerked as I spoke and I realised as her eyes darted to meet my gaze that she had been ogling my body as well. I resisted the urge to smirk and paid attention to what she was saying. "My car broke down just up the road," she explained, "I can't get home without it."

"Where are you heading?" I questioned curiously.

"Treble Lane," she said, "That's where I live." She blushed again and shifted awkwardly and I mentally smacked myself as I realised that she must feel uncomfortable standing as if on display like that, so I invited her to sit at the bar with me.

She obliged and sat two seats away from me and I struggled to hide my irrational disappointment. Of course she would be wary; to her, I was a complete stranger who she just met in a bar, of all places.

My heart jumped as I registered what she had said. "That's where we're heading, as soon as my brother is ready to leave," I mentioned, "I'm giving him a lift back to his flat there." I looked at her carefully, gauging her reaction to what I said next. "You're welcome to ride with us if you want. My sister-in-law is a mechanic and she can take a look at your car in the morning when it's light," I offered.

Her eyes widened perceptibly and she started to shake her head. "I don't want to impose or anything," she explained apologetically, "I just need a hand to get my car started."

"It's really no trouble at all," I assured her, "But if you would prefer, I'm sure Rosalie, my sister-in-law, wouldn't mind taking a quick look at it now."

The girl hesitated, indecision clear in her expression as she watched me. "Fine," she relented, "You can give me a lift."

I grinned at her and she blushed slightly. "I'm Edward Cullen," I told her, remembering that we hadn't exchanged names yet. I held my hand out for her to take.

She smiled at me and placed her tiny hand into mine. "Bella Swan, pleased to meet you," she said gracefully.

"A pleasure to meet you too," I murmured, lifting her hand to place a light kiss on the back and causing another blush to colour her cheeks. I smiled gently and released her hand just as my brother returned.

Emmett was grinning broadly as he came around to our side of the bar. "So?" He looked at me expectantly, glancing back and forth between me and Bella.

I sent him a meaningful glance. "This is Bella. Bella, this is my brother, Emmett. Her car broke down, so we're giving her a lift. She lives on the same road as you," I explained, bracing for the blunt comment I knew he was dying to make.

He grinned cheekily at Bella, grabbing her hand in his meaty palm and shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Bella," he said before looking at me. "So, Eddie, bringing a girl home right after meeting her, eh? Good going," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

My face burned as I groaned and turned to apologise to Bella, whose face was an even brighter red than before. "You'll have to forgive my brother; he doesn't know the meaning of restraint," I mumbled, ashamed.

Bella smiled understandingly and smirked at Emmett. "I wish I had a brother," she mused aloud.

"Trust me, _way_ more trouble than it's worth," I confided, grinning at him over my shoulder.

His own grin slipped and he sulked, pouting slightly. "Let's just go," he grumbled, leading the way out on to the street and leaving me and Bella behind.

I laughed and Bella joined in, her own music tinkling in the empty room. I looked over to her and she looked back. And then, we both smiled. I glanced at the door swinging shut behind Emmett and then offered my hand out to Bella.

She took it gratefully and I walked out with her into the glow of the street lights, walking away from the pub and from my own life of constantly being alone.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hey, so this is what I wrote for the second prompt. I got the idea of Emmett owning a pub from the 'Cheap Booze' sign in the photo. Hoped you liked reading this. The next one should hopefully be up next week with any luck.

Please review and let me know what you think of this.

animal8 xx


	3. Prompt 3

**...**

**Twilight Twenty-Five**

**Prompt #3**

**Penname: animal8**

**Pairing: N/A (Bree)**

**Rating: K+**

**Photos for promts can be found here:**

**community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/thetwilight25/13912[dot]html**

**...**

It was cold. The streets were dark and oppressive as they towered above me. I knew I was in trouble, but what could I do about it? I ran, but no matter how far I went, I could still sense them near me, lurking in the darkness. They were waiting. What for, I didn't know, but I knew it was nothing good.

I came to a rest at the entrance of an alley. My breath came in puffs, visible in the frigid air, as I struggled to catch my breath. I looked around frantically, searching the silent road for something, anything that could help me. There was nothing. Not like I had expected much in this part of the city.

Their near soundless footsteps approached me and I froze, my eyes, wild with terror as my muscles locked in place. I listened as they came closer, closer and I shouted in my head, demanding that I moved and saved myself.

I finally forced my legs to move again, carrying my body down the alley, hoping to avoid the attention of my followers. But my footfalls were heavy, loud and clattering against the narrow walls around me. They heard me.

They moved like shadows in the night; the perfect predator. And I knew that I was the prey. Some part of me knew that I stood no chance against this monster, but nonetheless I fought, pushed myself further, faster and faster.

As I weaved and ducked through the myriad of alleys, I no longer had the sense of being trailed. But still, I did not slow my pace as my heart did not slow it's as it clattered in my chest. The frozen air burned at my lungs and my sides ached from running. I had to stop, I could go no further.

I doubled over, leaning heavily on the wall beside me as I gasped desperately for air. My jeans chafed, leaving the skin beneath feeling rough and tender.

Slowly, my breathing calmed, becoming more even and deep. The feeling of dread and foreboding rose again causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. A pebble clattered in the alley ahead. I froze.

A dark chuckle rolled off the walls, carrying the sound back and forth around us as I waited. "My dear, you did put up a fight," a female voice called out to me, "I always liked that."

The voice made shivers run up my spine and I didn't bother to suppress them. A red haired woman emerged from the gloom in front of me and stood, head tilted to the side, with a sadistic smirk on her ruby lips.

"Too bad I'm not here to feed," she smirked, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled deeply, "You do smell divine, I must admit. It's a shame to waste such a delicacy, but needs must. And I need you."

I trembled fearfully as I stared at this woman talking. What was she? Why did she want me? I knew she was not human, why else would she be talking as if she wanted to eat me? But I wasn't sure on exactly what she was.

She took another breath and growled lowly. "I can smell your fear," she hissed. I whimpered slightly, against my will and she grinned evilly. "Oh yes, you will be a good one. I can always tell."

Suddenly, she was standing in front of me, so fast I hadn't even had the chance to see her move. I jerked back, but she grabbed my wrist in a painfully tight grip and pulled me towards her. "Now, I would promise that this won't hurt a bit, but actually, it will be the most painful thing you'll ever experience."

A sharp, piercing pain erupted in my neck and I realised with horror that she had sunk her teeth into me and was actually _drinking_ my blood. Like a vampire. But that was impossible. Vampires didn't exist. But feeling her pulling and sucking at my neck, drawing my blood from my rapidly weakening body, I knew that was exactly what she was. A vampire.

As my vision began to blur and fade, I thought of my family. My mother and father would be heartbroken when they found my beaten and broken body. If my body was ever found, that is.

I slumped down, allowing her arms to support my weight. As my eyes closed, I heard a growl as she ripped her mouth from me. "Don't worry, my pet. It will all be over soon enough," I heard fuzzily, through the ringing in my ears.

And then the fire consumed me, burning through every pore in my body until I felt I should have been reduced to ash long ago. Was this what Hell felt like? I wondered before the burning wiped away any thought.

I don't know how long it spread; the fire erased any sense of time or place. Or that mattered was the pain. I wasn't even in control of my own body, only aware as it thrashed with the intensity or the cries that ripped from my throat, leaving it raw and painful. But that minimal discomfort was lost as that pain impossibly increased, drawing closer to my heart as it retreated from my fingers and toes.

The sudden loss of pain from those extremities was shocking, but I couldn't think about it as the pain continued to draw closer to my furiously pounding heart, releasing more flesh from the burn.

As it filled my torso, now fully freeing my arms and legs, my heart picked up its pace even more, working so hard I was surprised it didn't burst from through my ribs. The pain constricted still, tightening around the over worked organ as it galloped towards its last beat.

And then, it stopped. My heart gave a final, stuttering beat and then fell silent. The complete absence of pain occurred so fast, I didn't know how to react to it. So I didn't. I lay still and silent as I wondered what had happened.

The burning hadn't left entirely, I soon realised. Though not as intense, the burning thirst in my parched throat was enough to cause me a great deal of discomfort. Unwillingly, I sat up and looked around.

There was no sign of the red headed woman, I noted, confused. A sudden movement caught my attention and, without even commanding my body to do so, I found myself on my feet in a low crouch facing the direction of the potential threat.

A pair of dark red eyes met mine as he eyed me cautiously. He was young and had dark blonde hair with the same pale skin as the woman who attacked me. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly. He stayed some distance away, never approaching too close to me. "What's your name?" He asked.

I paused, flicking through the series of foggy memories. "Bree," I remembered, "My name is Bree."

* * *

Author's Note:

Hey, this was for Prompt #3, showing a girl's legs as she ran. That gave me the idea for having Bree running from Victoria. It's also kind of a dedication seeing as Stephenie Meyer's new book 'Short Second Life of Bree Tanner' is going to be released next week, Saturday 5th June 2010.

I really hope you liked reading this and I am working on getting the next prompt out. I am trying to post them in order, even though I don't have to, but that doesn't mean I am writing them that way so some may come quicker than others. Please review and let me know what you thought of this and if I could improve or anything.

R~E~V~I~E~W~P~L~E~A~S~E

animal8 xx

P.S. It's my 18th Birthday today, so yay for me. I have had a fabuous day thanks to my family, though it was nothing big it was perfect for me. Nothing beats take away with family and friends ;D. (I am being serious by the way).

Also, it was my year 13 leavers assembly, which also went very well and I can honestly say that I will miss everyone in the sixth form :{. But I wish tham all the best of luck, though they will probably never read this message. Well, maybe one. If you're reading this Charlotte, yes that means you too ;D.

So, all the best to everyone. Good luck.

xx


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